Village census set to roll

Featured

THE much anticipated nationwide Village Resource Survey and Household Listing 2017-2018 first phase is set to start with deployment of field enumerators as of next week.

Headed by the Solomon Islands National Statistics Office (SINSO) within the Ministry of Finance & Treasury (MoFT), this is a pre-census count for the 2019 national census.

VRS National project Director, Raphael Aipaina said the first phase will cover whole of Renbel and Temotu Province (s) with ward one and two in the Shortland Islands of the Western Province and ward 31, 32 and 33 in the Malaita Outer Island (MOI) of Malaita Province.

These two Province (Renbel & Temotu) and wards were selected for the first phase considering the geographical location and transportation problems they often face each year.

Deployment of enumerators to Renbel and Temotu province and selected wards will inaugurate next week followed with enumeration the week after next week which will run for a period of two months.

The movement of field enumerators to designated provinces and wards a week before the actual enumeration on Monday 13 November 2017 is to give them apple time for traveling and to ensure they settle down in well at their enumeration areas before work (enumeration) can start.

Mr Aipaina said this is a nationwide survey thus every single villages will be enumerated and listed.

He said since the survey is the basis for the national census count in 2019, there’s no exception for any village and household to escape it.

“VRS is coming to your door mouth and your village and household will be enumerated and registered,” Mr Aipaina said.

Phase two which set for Choiseul, Central Island and Makira Province (s) will kick-off in December 2017, while, phase three is scheduled to commence on February next year (2018) for Western, Malaita, Guadalcanal and Honiara.

Meanwhile, Mr Aipaina said that whilst this is a nationwide survey including the Honiara City, it is not always an easy task as the diverse nature of the islands has to be taken into account, as well as the logistic support arrangements necessary for the survey such as transportation to outer islands.

The Director then called on every single citizens of the Solomon Islands to cooperate and support the NSO and the officers (field enumerators) who will be deployed into the field to provide them with the correct information.

He said this is a very important survey given the national census is just over a year away thus collective support and cooperation is decisive in this regard.

Government Statistician, Douglas Kimi said this VRS project will be a benchmark for the official/gazetted village names in the country.

He said once the survey (VRS) is conducted and successfully accomplished it will provide avenues to look at pathways to gazette village names.

“Generally the information to be collected in the VRS 2017/18 will also help to ensure the kind of resources that exist in the village. It is a good check to align policy implementation for the kind of development project the villages have received from the government and those who still experience the challenge.

“The information will be more powerful to confirm the development that are happening in the villages and communities. NSO also include questions on climate change and the level of challenge this Climate Change have had on villages and communities,” Mr Kimi said.

The National Statistics Office (NSO) is also calling on development partners and donors to support NSO in terms of funding and technical assistance as they prepare ahead for the 2019 National Census.